A PARISH council is in crisis after four councillors and its clerk resigned.

The vice chairman of Coggeshall Parish Council, Karen Mills, plans to step down today and the chairman is understood to be considering her position.

Clerk Ray Coster left his post on Thursday after 11 weeks in the post.

Sarah Parsons, Michael Horne, Brian Spraggon and Melanie Hewitt have also departed, while Mrs Mills intends to follow suit today.

Chairman Patricia Meredith is said to be considering her position, but was unavailable for comment.

Mr Horne, who was the longestserving parish councillor, having joined in 2004, said: “I think the atmosphere is getting rather difficult and some of the councillors are more interested in scoring points rather than working for the greater good.” Mr Spraggon said: “My decision to resign was because we have now lost the fourth or fifth clerk in the last seven years.

“It’s mainly because of the attitude of certain people on the council, so I’d had enough.

“They can’t keep losing clerks.

They’re very difficult to find.”

According to the council’s website, it has 11 councillors and one vacancy.

The resignations would leave it with five councillors.

A STATEMENT attributed to Mrs Meredith and Mr Coster entitled “There’s no place for bullying” has been posted on the parish council’s website.

It states: “Individual councillors are elected and unpaid members of the local community who together meet to form the parish council.

“If anyone wishes to make representations or seek clarification on parish council business then the appropriate method is to contact your local councillor, the clerk or to attend the parish council meetings, which forms the basis of local democracy.

“The councillors and our staff team are doing their jobs to the best of their ability and will seek to help you, but no individual regardless of the role they perform should have to put up with bullying, abuse or hostility.”